1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector housing in which press-connecting connectors of small-size, narrow-pitch type are mounted.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a condition before a conductor is press-connected to a press-connecting terminal mounted in a cavity of the connector housing, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a condition after the conductor is press-connected to the press-connecting terminal. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a condition before a conductor is press-connected to a press-connecting terminal mounted in a cavity of the connector housing, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a condition after the conductor is press-connected to the press-connecting terminal.
As shown in FIG. 4, the connector housing includes opposite side walls (not shown) and partition walls 4 which have a height smaller than the height of press-connecting portions of the press-connecting terminal 10, that is, the height of press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting portions. The cavity 3 is formed between the adjacent partition walls 4, and the press-connecting terminal 10 is mounted therein. Guide plates 32 of a conductor press-connecting device 30 are inserted and abutted respectively against the upper ends of the partition walls 4 forming the cavity 3, and in this condition a press-connecting punch 31 of the conductor press-connecting device 30 is pressed or pushed in a direction of the arrow to thereby press-fit the conductor 20a of an insulating sheathed wire 20 into a space between the press-connecting blades 11a.
The conductor 20a of the insulating sheathed wire 20 is press-fitted, thus press-connected to and held in the space between the press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10, as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the connector housing, in which the conductor 20a of each insulating sheathed wire 20 is press-connected to and held between the associated press-connecting blades 11a and 11a, is sealed by a cover 2 having a rugged inner surface held in contact with the upper surfaces of the outer peripheral walls and the upper surfaces of the partition walls 4.
As shown in FIG. 6, the connector housing includes opposite side walls (not shown) and partition walls 4 which have a height greater than the height of press-connecting portions of the press-connecting terminal 10 (that is, the height of press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10 of the press-connecting portions). The cavity 3 is formed between the adjacent partition walls 4, and the press-connecting terminal 10 is mounted therein. Guide plates 32 of a conductor press-connecting device 30 are inserted and abutted respectively against the upper ends of the partition walls 4 forming the cavity 3, and in this condition a press-connecting punch 31 of the conductor press-connecting device 30 is pressed or pushed in a direction of the arrow to thereby press-fit the conductor 20a of an insulating sheathed wire 20 into a space between the press-connecting blades 11a.
The conductor 20a of the insulating sheathed wire 20, press-fitted, thus press-connected to and held in the space between the press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10, as shown in FIG. 7. Then, the connector housing B, in which the conductor 20a of each insulating sheathed wire 20 is press-connected to and held between the associated press-connecting blades 11a, is sealed by a cover (not shown) having a rugged inner surface held in contact with the upper surfaces of the outer peripheral walls and the upper surfaces of the partition walls.
In the connector housing (FIGS. 4 and 5), the height of the partition walls (cavity walls) 4 is smaller than the height of the press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10, as described above, and therefore a creeping distance b between the adjacent press-connecting terminals 10 through a gap s between the partition wall 4 and the cover 2 is extremely short. As a result, there have been encountered problems that dew condensation may develop between the press-connecting terminals 10, and that when a foreign matter intrudes into the connector housing, a leakage current can easily develop between the press-connecting terminals, so that the resistance of leakage between the press-connecting terminals is lowered.
In the second conventional connector housing (FIGS. 6 and 7), the height of the partition walls (cavity walls) 4 is larger than the height of the press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10. However, when the glide plates 32 of the conductor press-connecting device 30 are removed, the partition walls (cavity walls) 4 are deformed or tilted away from each other (as indicated by arrows) because of the springback of the press-connecting blades 11a. This results in a problem that the conductor 20a of the insulating sheathed wire 20 fails to be press-connected to and held between the press-connecting blades 11a of the press-connecting terminal 10.